New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state was aiming to produce 3,000 mw of solar power by 2027.
Laying the foundation stone of a 25 mw solar power plant at Namrup in Dibrugarh, he said this would be the state's contribution towards the environment.
"We are already in the process of producing 200 mw of solar power. Within this year, the work for the rest will begin," Sarma said.
The Namrup plant will be built at a cost of Rs 115 crore and once commissioned, it will add to the state's multi-pronged strategy to move towards a green energy regime, he said.
The project, a joint venture between Assam Power Generation Corporation and Oil India Limited, is expected to be complete by July 2025.
Sarma said when he was sworn in as chief minister in 2021, the peak-hour demand in the state stood at 1,800 mw, and has now increased to 2,500 mw because of the rise in the number of industries and electrification of villages.
The state produces a mere 419 mw of power, and it has to purchase around 2,100 mw on a daily basis, he said.
"Initiatives such as the solar power project at Namrup will augment the state's power generation capacity, and will contribute greatly towards reducing reliance on power purchased from outside the state," he added.
Seven solar power plants are functional in the state at present, producing 175 mw daily, Sarma said.
The power plants in Sonitpur district's Barchalla and Dhubri district's Khudigaon are at various stages of development, while the construction of the 1,000 mw solar power plant at Karbi Anglong would begin soon, he said.
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